Butler backs Mona to claim schoolboy football treble
Having reached the semi-finals of the ISSA/Manning Cup competition for the first time in their history last season, Craig Butler, head coach of Mona, is backing his team to go all the way in this year’s competition.
In fact, the tough-talking Butler told the Jamaica Observer that Mona’s aim this year is to win all three top trophies on offer in the schoolboy football this season.
“The aim is to win everything and we are five million per cent confident,” said Butler. The levels are there because only three players were lost from the starting team from last year, plus we have all the Colts players coming up and players that were sitting out,” he said.
“They [players] spent two months in Europe preparing against some of the biggest teams in the world, their second teams.”
“They played against Chelsea, they played against Ajax, Genk, Sheffield United and Aston Villa; they spent two months training, developing and understanding professional football, so their vision is different and they are well open, disciplined and focused,” Butler said.
Mona, who were beaten 1-2 by reigning champions Jamaica College in last year’s semi-finals of the Manning Cup, have been drawn in Zone E, where they will play alongside Edith Dalton James, Holy Trinity, Innswood, Norman Manley, St Catherine, and St Mary’s High.
They have retained Donte Paralto, Robinho Gordon, Kishane Gordon, Romarion Thomas, and Denzil McKenzie.
Butler pointed out that they now have a very strong bench this year compared to last season’s team and he stated that despite being very confident, they will not be underestimating any of their opponents in the competitions because all the teams have good players in their squad.
“The ball is round and we have to play with referees and have to play with a board room and so we have to ensure that we do understand that this is football,” he said. “But as far as I am concerned, I believe that we have a very solid team in every department. We have the best goalkeeper in the island in Akeem Bernard, and our entire backline is returning except for Donue Mitchell, so we have a lot of quality players,” Butler said.
“We have a very solid bench as well because last we had 17 players and this year we have 40 players and so it is a very hard team to pick to start,” he said.
Mona are set to face host Norman Manley in their opening game on September 12 at Maxfield Park.
